'Vertebración y Desvertebración' in El Médano, Spain

The Canary Islands are a popular whale-watching destination, with primarily pilot whales being seen in their waters. In the past this was different and the locals would hunt these creatures. In El Médano, a replica whale spine commemorates this history. 

Vertebración y Desvertebración (Vertebration and Desvertebration) is a sandstone sculpture made by Guillermo Batista, which can be found on the easternmost tip of the town. It is a set of two sandstone replicas of whale bones. In one, seven vertebrae are stacked into a large spine and in the other, they are individually placed next to each other. 

The piece has a dual meaning. On one hand, it remembers the islands’ whaling past, on the other it symbolizes the islands themselves, with each of the seven segments standing for each of the Canary Islands. The first sculpture shows that they belong together, while the latter shows that they also each have their own culture and traditions. Seven individuals are one whole.